England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Walwyn's Castle St James the Great

The Parish

The parish of Walwyn's Castle lies in southwestern Pembrokeshire roughly 6 miles southwest of the market town of Haverfordwest. Walwyn's Castle sits a quarter of a mile south of the B4327 road which links Haverfordwest through to Dale. The village is small and has most properties lining the main lane running south from the B4327. Quite who was Walwyn is debatable but his castle was originally one of a series of possibly Iron Age forts which defended the land upstream from Sandyhaven Pill. Welsh legend has it as Gwalchmai's castle, a strikingly large warrior and contemporary with King Arthur. Much of the area is set to pasture, being close to the west coast inbound salty winds do not encourage arable crops. A small stream runs the 3 or so miles to Sandyhaven Pill, one of the myriad of such inlets set around the ria of Milford Haven which is joined en route to the outer Bristol Channel. Walwyn's Castle is sited at around 30 metres above the sea with church & castle standing aloof at 55 metres, to its east rises higher ground culminating in Boltonhill which tops out at 110 metres. Walwyn's Castle parish was fairly extensive covering close to 4,000 acres and would have supported a population of about 350 parishioners. Like most of Wales Walwyn's Castle is not mentioned in Domesday Book which did not cover this area. 

The Church

St James' church stands together with the former castle site on a low knoll standing above a small reservoir to their east. Much of the churchyard is substantially raised above road height so has to share the same entrance as the Village Hall and Car Park. Much of the church dates from a restoration/rebuilding conducted over almost a decade between 1869 & 1878, only the strikingly tall western tower being wholly original (except for the topmost battlements and belfry). The tower is Perpendicular in style with the exact dating somewhat uncertain but either late 14th or early 15th century. The main body of the nave and chancel together with a northern porch is built upon the identical footprint of the original building and the rebuild maintains the 14th century styling with a mixture of both Perpendicular and Decorated motifs, perhaps harking back to their predecessor. The churchyard is accessed from the Village Hall car park and is open and uncluttered with no obstacles for the photographer.